We Are What We Are

1. Death is very much the pivot about which life revolves, so to say. Interested to listen to some stuff about death and afterlife? Great talking points, too- Downloadable MP3 discussions are at Radio Lab.

2. Life of St Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain:

"At the end of his life, St Nicodemus returned to the Cell of the Skourtaioi. He received Holy Unction and the Holy Mysteries, and after taking the latter, ‘he crossed his hands, stretched out his legs, became quiet and tranquil, and prayed continuously. When the brothers who were present asked him: “Teacher, are you resting?” he replied: “I have placed Christ within me, how is it possible for me not to be at rest?”’ (p. 94). St Nicodemus fell asleep in the Lord on 14 July 1809, at the age of sixty."

- Logismoi

3. Music is so uplifting- and what gives strength to music is meaning, because it adds context: please read this from In the Dark and then listen to the music, you will see what I mean:

"Although it is basically about death, I find this piece immensely uplifting and joyful. The setting of the last verse in particular reaches parts of me that other music doesn’t reach. The voice floats freely as if suspended in mid-air over the first line (O weiter, stiller Friede!) while the orchestra circles beneath it. The voice then soars away like a majestic bird over the second line of text (So tief im Abendrot) while the orchestra gathers again. The exquisite countermelody rises up to meet the vocal line and they fly together for a while before the words are finished and it all eventually subsides into a quiet but wonderful sense of fulfilment."

4. "If we believe in a loving God it can have a positive effect, even prolong our lives. But believing in a judgmental, authoritarian God can produce fear, anger, and stress, and that’s not healthy."

- www.pbs.org

Discussion about the Brain and religion- we need more of this.

5. This is about the kind of life we lead, right? Not the kind of life we ought to lead- this is, as we must remind ourselves again and again, we are what we are- not we ought to be what we are- this is not about self-improvement: okay, here is a Bus Driver in Teheran- Woman:



Feminist Philosophers write, "She also gives hell to male drivers who are rude to her. She’s utterly determined and fearless, and very impressive". So, you know what this is about.

6. Ahem!

"We Would Enter a Triathlon- 

If the three events were griping, smoking and McDonalds."

- Unremitting Failure

Be happy.